Major in Special Education | BS in Education: Intervention Specialist

Majoring in special education gives you the opportunity to make an impact on the lives of truly exceptional individuals. Intervention specialists are perhaps the most versatile teachers in the field. They must be competent to teach every curricular subject while working hard to understand the widely varied and specific needs of their students.

Exceptionalities in special needs students may be physical, learning, emotional, cognitive, developmental or a combination. As a teacher, you empower them to relate to their surroundings in a way they can understand and help them to progress beyond their limitations.

Study at Urbana U – One of the Best Special Education Colleges

The passion of the faculty to create the best teachers possible is evident in the demand for Urbana U’s Intervention Specialist degree program graduates.

Your field experience and student teaching experience provides you with the opportunity to observe skilled intervention specialists and practice what you learn, which is a valuable stepping stone to your first job as a special education teacher. Students are placed at partner schools with teachers who have significant experience in the field and demonstrate excellence in teaching practices.

Find Rewarding Careers with a Major in Special Education

Urbana’s Special Education major prepares you for licensure and a career working as an intervention specialist. While most intervention specialists work in schools with children, unique and important opportunities exist to use your education to assist young adults and adults as well.

Both government and private agencies need trained professionals to create and coordinate transition plans to help in vocational training and job placement, career and technical education; teaching appropriate life skills; and securing services to aid in their independence.

You may also decide to attend graduate school to expand your marketability into careers in social work, educational audiology, art or music therapy, occupational or physical therapy, counseling, psychology, or speech pathology.

Meet Dr. James Judge | Faculty Spotlight

For over 40 years, Dr. James Judge has worked for schools as an educator and administrator inspiring and preparing young educators to teach solo in resource rooms as well as to collaborate with general education teachers in classroom settings in order facilitate a more inclusive educational experience for their students. He believes teachers need to be able to develop transition plans for all students to transition them to be good community citizens.

Program Outcomes

Articulates milestones and variations in student development in the cognitive, physical, linguistic, social, affective, and moral domains and how they impact student learning.

Understands assessment instruments and practices, the relationship between assessment and instruction, and how to use assessment data to plan and adapt effective learning experiences and monitor student progress.

Creates developmentally appropriate learning goals, objectives and strategies in a safe and inclusive learning environment to ensure the engagement and success of all students, including students who are English Language Learners and students with exceptionalities.

Defines roles and expectations for professional educators, strategies for self-reflection and continuous professional growth, and identifies methods to establish effective partnerships and collaborations with families, colleagues, and the community.

Understands effective instructional practices for students with disabilities to promote success in the general curriculum, including the RtI process.

Understands strategies for teaching social, vocational and academic life skills and promoting successful transitions for students with disabilities.

Understands the development, implementation and monitoring of individualized education programs.